anti-intellectualism
Meaning
Hostility towards or distrust of intellectuals, academic learning, and abstract thought.
Structure
Usage
The politician's campaign was marked by a strong streak of anti-intellectualism, dismissing experts as out-of-touch elites.
The rise of anti-intellectualism in some circles poses a threat to evidence-based public policy.
His book analyzes the historical roots of American anti-intellectualism.
Etymology
The term is a modern English compound, built from classical elements to describe a specific cultural attitude. The prefix "anti-", of Greek origin, establishes a stance of opposition. It is attached to "intellectual", which itself derives from the Latin intellectus, meaning the power of understanding or the mind. The final suffix "-ism", also of Greek origin, transforms the adjective into a noun denoting a systematic practice, principle, or ideology. Thus, the word's literal construction logically builds the meaning of "the doctrine or practice of being against the life of the mind," directly reflecting its modern definition of hostility to intellectual pursuits and their proponents.
Analysis
anti: From Greek via Latin, meaning "against" or "opposite". A prefix indicating opposition. intellect: From Latin intellectus (understanding, perception), from intelligere (to understand). The core morpheme denoting the faculty of reasoning and understanding. ual: A Latin-derived adjectival suffix. ism: A suffix from Greek -ismos, forming nouns of action, state, or doctrine.